Massey University: Introduction to Business Communcation (ANZ Analysis Report) - Semester 2, 2020

ANZ Analysis Report Client Case

Premkamon Janlar, 16 September 2020 Communication Consultant Word Count: 1095

Executive Summary This report provides insight of former ANZ CEO, David Hirsch’s mishandling of corporate business expenses, which initiated a chain of events subsequently causing the

ANZ Analysis Report

communication collapse between employees and the risk and compliance team.

Notwithstanding the external assistance of Deloitte to intervene and resolve the company’s workplace conflicts after a report was neglected (Macnamara, 2019). The solution is to propose new policies that help achieve and implement workplace relationships as well as promoting better human resource strategies to guide the risk and compliance team to improve workplace communication issues and work misconduct in future (Brown, 2019).

CONTENTS Executive Summary

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Discussion

3

Whistleblowers 

Communication Issues

Risk and Compliance Team

3 3 4



Intrapersonal aspects

4



Work Culture

5

Conclusions Recommendations

References

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ANZ Analysis Report

Discussion On one hand, it is truistic that there is favoritism and elitism shown with an hierarchical ladder of authority in ANZ. Namely, they felt they had to protect someone in a higher position of power – in this instance, David Hisco - until it was publicly revealed by news outlets and ultimately, they had no choice but to resort to dismissing him.

Whistleblowers

Figure .1: by Unknown Author is licensed under

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

Communication Issues

The required situational tasks within the communication

ANZ Analysis Report

channel where maintained regarding complex problem solving (Joakim et al., 2010) when they reported it using the Shannon and Weaver model. This channel is the most efficient in the corporate environment, due to a formal establishment of communication is sustained and directed at the right professional teams. However, one solution that whistleblowers could have used is writing a letter as advised

by Wolff et al. (2010) as it provides a, “tangible, dated record of the agreement reached or the action requested”. This also provides a permanent record should noise or ‘barriers’ concerning the communication channel or event happen (Lawson et al., 2019). Furthermore, the tangibility of a letter would mean ANZ would press the issue further by acquiescing the problem and providing more feedback to the whistleblowers to resolve it as soon as possible so that the risk and compliance team are more intent on focusing on the needs of the whistleblowers (Wolff et al., 2010).

Risk and Compliance Team 

Intrapersonal aspects

The risk and compliance team (Lawson et al., 2019), internally tried using their problem solving competence (Joachim et al., 2018) addressing someone in a higher position of power by predicting the company would retaliate and fire them. You could say that they were

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Figure . 3: by Unknown Author is licensed under d

ANZ Analysis Report

Conclusions Overall, situational and collaborative problem solving not only needs to be monitored by members of the organization, but also self-monitored to gauge that communication is highly refined and professional relationships are established. Importantly, a committee must plan an empirical structure so that it meets the desired outcome and a level of equality must be introduced so that workers do not feel that are at an unfair disadvantage when it comes to addressing the problems of upper management as well as feeling validated when issues do arise like this in future. To do this, the culture of ANZ must change where whistleblowers, the risk and compliance team, and upper management must take accountability for their actions and communication conduct. Upper management must also step in and acknowledge whistleblowers concerns of a serious nature so people feel safe to report and interact freely to create a more productive and co-operative environment.

Recommendations To summarize, ANZ needs to redirect employees’ attitudes towards work culture by changing their environment into a friendlier and more approachable atmosphere as well as regularly checking that everybody associates with each other with respect and consideration. Not only does this prevent events like Hisco’s happening in future, but also displays integrity and promotes a good name by setting a new example of communication within the banking industry. Attracting stakeholders, customers, and businesses to follow in ANZ’s footsteps by observing that the organization is taking measurable steps to consider and reflect on the wellbeing of their business culture. To add to this, it also builds trustworthiness, rapport, and credibility to the brand, making business thrive and creating a marketing strategy within itself in the process without spending extra on marketing expenses.

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ANZ Analysis Report

References Bovée, C. L., & Thill, J.V. (2016). Understanding the Foundations of Business Communication.

In Business communication today (13 ed.). Pearson.

Griffin, E. M. (2006). A first look at communication theory. In (8 ed., pp. 390).

Joachim, F., Fischer, A., & Holt, V., D.,. (2010). Competencis for Complexity: Problem Solving in the Twenty -First Century. In Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills (E. Care et al. ed.). Springer International Publising AG 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3319-65368-6_3

Latan, H., Chiappetta, J., de Sousa Jabbour, C.J. & L. (2017) A.B. Ethical Awareness, Ethical Judgment and Whistleblowing: A Moderated Mediation Analysis. J Bus Ethics 155, 289– 304 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3534-2

Lawson, C., Gill R., Feekery, A., & Witsel, M. (Ed.). (2019). Communication as a process (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Macnamara, K. (2019). Did fear of reprisal stop ANZ acting on whistleblower tip? Stuff. https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/113803254/did-fear-of-reprisal-stopanz-acting-on-whistleblower-tip

Wolff, T., Hirshfield, J. & Guare, J. (2010). Writing for the workplace: content and genre. In Writing in the age of the internet. Minnesota Public Radio. http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/08/23/midday2

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